Thief took ‘friend’s’ van and tools
A‘MEAN’ thief assaulted a reveller on a night out before taking his van and tools, a court heard.
Ryan Wells Gordon met victim Ross Devlin during a night out in Haslingden but then ‘things went badly wrong during the evening’.
Prosecutor Martin Callery told Burnley Crown Court they were on a journey back to a friend’s home in the early hours of March 10 this year when a ‘disagreement took place between them’.
Mr Callery said the ‘disagreement was fuelled by alcohol’ and Gordon assaulted Mr Devlin causing ‘superficial injuries to head and face which didn’t require any medical treatment’.
He told the court: “Mr Devlin had been out for most of the night and into the early hours and spent all of that time up until 2.15am in licensed premises.
“He met, whether on the pub car park or the forecourt of a garage, Mr Gordon and struck up a conversation and an association with him.
“However they came to strike up a friendship, it all went wrong and it went wrong when they fell out and Mr Gordon assaulted Mr Devlin.”
The court heard how after the assault Gordon took the victim’s van keys and then returned at 7am to steal the vehicle which contained ‘all his works tools’.
Mr Callery added: “The van was recovered intact. It was left in a conspicuous place and so was likely always to be recovered.”
Gordon, 27, of Pine Street, Haslingden, pleaded guilty to common assault, theft and taking a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent. He was given a 12-month community order with a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
Judge Beverley Lunt said it was a ‘mean offence’.
David Bruce, defending, said Wells had already served the equivalent of a five-month jail sentence after being remanded for two months in custody and then being subject to a qualifying tag.
He said: “This is an unusual case and I’m not going to point blame one way or the other. This defendant has accepted responsibility for what he’s done and needs to be punished for that.
“He’s not had a lot of help formally from probation. There’s a suggestion he could be helped with getting work, his relationship, with drugs and if he’s willing to accept that help it may assist everyone in the long term.”